A system, apparatus, and methods are disclosed for aligning a stored scancode sequence that corresponds to a hardware password, with a password input device type such as a current keyboard type. Aligning the stored scancode sequence with the password input device type enables successful validation of a hardware password despite a change in a password input device type or inadvertent corruption of a non-volatile memory used for storing the scancode sequence such as non-volatile memory that stores BIOS information for a computing device.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An apparatus comprising: a non-volatile memory configured to store a stored scancode sequence; a password verification module configured to prompt a user for a hardware password for a hardware device, receive an input scancode sequence from a keyboard, compare the input scancode sequence to the stored scancode sequence according to a Basic Input/Output System (“BIOS”) resident routine and provide access to hardware resources if the input scancode sequence matches the stored scancode sequence, wherein the hardware password is a BIOS controlled password for validation by the BIOS resident routine; and a scancode update module configured to provide a current keyboard type for the hardware device to a password server, receive a scancode sequence corresponding to the current keyboard type, the scancode sequence comprising a scancode representation of a password from the password server, and change the stored scancode sequence to the scancode sequence provided by the password server.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hardware password is a BIOS controlled password.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hardware password is selected from a group consisting of a power-on password, a supervisor password, and a hard-drive password.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scancode update module is further configured to update the stored scancode sequence in response to detecting a change in the current keyboard type by the client.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scancode update module is further configured to update the stored scancode sequence in response to a plurality of unsuccessful password verification attempts.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scancode update module is further configured to update the stored scancode sequence in response to a user request to update the stored scancode sequence.
7. A system comprising: a hardware device configured to provide access to resources on the hardware device in response to a user providing a hardware password and the hardware device validating the hardware password according to a Basic Input/Output System (“BIOS”) resident routine comparing an input scancode sequence to a stored scancode sequence, the hardware password being a BIOS controlled password; a password server configured to store the hardware password for the hardware device, receive a current keyboard type for the hardware device, and provide a scancode sequence corresponding to the keyboard type, the scancode sequence comprising a scancode representation of the hardware password; and the hardware device further configured to receive the scancode sequence for the keyboard type and change a stored scancode sequence on the hardware device to the scancode sequence provided by the password server.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the hardware password is a BIOS controlled password.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the hardware password is selected from the group consisting of a power-on password, a supervisor password, and a hard-drive password.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein hardware device is further configured to request the scancode sequence in response to detecting a change in the current keyboard type.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein hardware device is further configured to request the scancode sequence in response to a plurality of unsuccessful password verification attempts.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein hardware device is further configured to request the scancode sequence in response to a user request to update the stored scancode sequence.
13. A method comprising: detecting an alignment event; providing a current keyboard type for a hardware device to a password server in response to detecting an alignment event, the hardware device configured to validate a hardware password according to a Basic Input/Output System (“BIOS”) resident routine that compares an input scancode sequence to a stored scancode sequence, the hardware password being a BIOS controlled password; receiving, at the hardware device, a scancode sequence corresponding to the keyboard type from the password server, the scancode sequence comprising a scancode representation of a password from the password server; and changing a stored scancode sequence corresponding to hardware password for the hardware device to the scancode sequence provided by the password server.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising validating a user-provided password using the stored scancode sequence.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the hardware password is a BIOS controlled password.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the hardware password is selected from the group consisting of a power-on password, a supervisor password, and a hard-drive password.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein providing, receiving, and changing occurs in response to detecting a change in the current keyboard type.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein providing, receiving, and changing occurs in response to a plurality of unsuccessful password verification attempts.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein providing, receiving, and changing occurs in response to a user request to update the stored scancode sequence.
20. A method comprising: receiving, at a password server, a keyboard type for a hardware device from the hardware device, the hardware device configured to validate a hardware password according to a Basic Input/Output System (“BIOS”) resident routine that compares an input scancode sequence to a stored scancode sequence, the hardware password being a BIOS controlled password; converting the hardware password corresponding to the hardware device to a scancode sequence for the keyboard type, the scancode sequence comprising a scancode representation of the hardware password; and providing the scancode sequence to the hardware device.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
February 21, 2008
April 24, 2012
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